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On this day…in 1869

In the early hours of this day in 1869, at just past midnight, Ellis County Sheriff Wild Bill Hickok along with his deputy, responded to a report about a local troublemaker named Samuel Strawhun, who, along with his inebriated companions, was causing chaos at John Bitter’s Beer Saloon in Hays City, Kansas.

Upon Hickok’s arrival and his command for the men to cease their actions, Strawhun attempted to attack him, resulting in Hickok shooting him in the head. Strawhun’s death was immediate, as was the cessation of the riot.

Such were the methods of Wild Bill, often described as unrestrained in law enforcement practices. Renowned for his marksmanship and unwavering composure in heated situations, James Butler Hickok initially appeared to be the perfect choice for the sheriff of Ellis County, Kansas. The residents of Hays City, which served as the county seat, were fed up with the nightly violence and destruction instigated by drunken buffalo hunters and soldiers overtaking their town. They believed that the well-known “Wild Bill” could bring back peace and order, subsequently electing him as interim county sheriff in the late summer of 1869.

Imposing in stature, slim, and with shoulder-length hair complemented by a grand mustache, Hickok was an impressive sight, and his reputation as a lethal shot with either hand was often enough to deter numerous would-be lawbreakers. As one cowboy visitor later recounted, Hickok would position himself “with his back against the wall, observing everything and everyone under his eyebrows—much like a furious old bull.” Yet, when Hickok resorted to more forceful tactics in maintaining the peace, some residents of Hays City began to question if their remedy was actually worse than the original problem. Shortly after assuming the role of sheriff, Hickok shot a confrontational soldier who resisted arrest, leading to the man’s death the following day. A few weeks later, Hickok killed Strawhun. Although Hickok’s violent measures proved undeniably effective, many in Hays City were not pleased that he had already taken two lives in just five weeks while purportedly ensuring peace.

During the regular November elections later that year, the citizens voiced their dissatisfaction, resulting in Hickok losing to his deputy, 144-89. Although Wild Bill Hickok would subsequently take on other law enforcement roles throughout the West, his initial term as sheriff lasted a mere three months.

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